Für EP-Präsident Pat Cox stellen Finanzvorschläge der Kommission zur Erweiterung das Minimum dar

Brüssel (OTS) - In seiner Rede vor dem Europäischen Rat von
Brüssel wies EP-Präsident Pat Cox, Präsident des Europäischen
Parlaments, heute darauf hin, dass die Kommissionsvorschläge zu den
Strukturfonds, Direktzahlungen und Kompensationsmechanismen in der
erweiterten Union für das Europäische Parlament eine absolute
Mindestforderung darstellten. Dass die Beitrittsländer in den ersten
Jahren etwas anderes als Nettoempfänger würden, wäre "undenkbar".

Pat Cox erinnerte anschließend daran, dass das Europäische Parlament
nicht nur seine Zustimmung zur Erweiterung geben, sondern als
Haushaltsbehörde auch das Finanzpaket allgemein genehmigen muss.

Es folgt nun die Rede des EP-Präsidenten in Auszügen:

The Irish Referendum - the Follow-up

"We in the European Parliament have welcomed the Irish referendum
results. A powerful and positive message came from the people who
were consulted: Enlargement and enlargement now. This clears the way
for the Union's rendez-vous with history. I would draw three
particular lessons for our future work.

1. We must never again let the European integration process get
dislocated from public opinion.

2. A second lesson concerns the enlargement timetable. There is now
a great degree of urgency in agreeing the Union's position on a
number of issues. If we do not get it right in Brussels, how can we
expect to get it right in the middle of the night in Copenhagen? If
we cobble together solutions at the last moment, we will end up with
the same kind of last-gasp decision-making that we have seen in the
past, not least in Nice.

3. A third lesson concerns public attitudes towards enlargement
itself. One of the most frequent reactions heard on the doorstep, in
the pub, outside the shopping centres was: "Ireland has benefitted
greatly from the Union. It is time to let the others benefit as
well."This was a generous response, grounded in realism, vested with
experience, because Ireland's benefits have also benefitted the 14,
so the transformation of the economies of the 10 will benefit also
the 15.

The Enlargement Mandate - the Issues

A short-sighted accounting view of the enlargement project will not
simply create new hurdles, and perhaps jeopardise the project, it
would weaken the chances of success of an enlarged Union, and slow
down the economic transformation sought.

It should be unthinkable to imagine that Poland, Hungary, the Czech
Republic or any of the others could be anything other than net
beneficiaries of the Union in the first years of their membership.

The Union has always, and for good reason, ever since the first
enlargements, ensured that new members get a helping start from the
Union's budget: the 6 billion Euro on the table for structural aid is
an absolute minimum.

Anything less than the Commission proposals for Structural Funds,
direct payments and compensatory mechanisms would be unacceptable to
the European Parliament. And I would remind you that Parliament not
only has to give its assent to the Accession Treaties, it is also the
budgetary authority which will have to approve the overall financial
package. Anything less than the Commission proposals would sour
public opinion in the Accession States. And, perhaps even more
importantly, it would jeopardise the huge efforts at economic
transformation undertaken by the Accession States.

On agriculture, it is a bit late in the day now - there should be no
new pre-conditions. Everyone knows that a difficult decision on the
reform of the CAP awaits us: will be necessary for the next financial
perspectives. Asking for commitments and guarantees on either side
of that argument before conclusion in Copenhagen is premature,
unrealistic and unnecessary.

Number of Seats in the European Parliament

In the spirit of open relations between the Institutions, where the
seats of the Parliament are concerned, in the transitional period
from 2004 to 2009, until Bulgaria and Romania participate, I would
have appreciated the minimum courtesy of being kept abreast of
Council deliberations on the issue, other than through studious
attention to the media.

Other Enlargement Issues

For Bulgaria and Romania, Parliament supports maintaining the
momentum, upgrading the road-map, by giving a target date for entry
and increasing the pre-Accession aid which is necessary to make this
happen.

On Turkey, we note the substantial progress made in Turkey over the
last few months before the elections, and we hope that discussions
with the new government and new Grand National Assembly to be elected
in Turkey will lead to even greater efforts along the reform path, so
that a new assessment can be made at the earliest opportunity.

On Cyprus, your conclusions in Seville talked of a preference for a
reunited Cyprus. I hope you will find the words to express our
urgent support for all steps to reach agreement.

Kaliningrad is on your agenda today. Obviously, the negotiations are
a matter for Council and for the Commission. We have no negotiating
mandate. But I have observed the rising temperature on this issue,
not least in the Russian State Duma. I therefore took the initiative
to bring together the Speakers of all the Parliaments of the States
concerned (the President of the Russian Duma and Federation Council,
the Polish Sejm and Senate, and the Lithuanian Seimas), to try to
lower the temperature and to make people feel that we were prepared
to engage, without prejudice, to certain basic principles. It is
clear to me that a solution here comes through a clear recognition of
Lithuania's sovereignty and a respect for the dignity of Russia.
Council's work in this area, to the extent that they recognise those
principles, is welcome. In indicating their willingness to engage,
Lithuania deserves and requires a guarantee that it will participate
in Schengen at the earliest stage.

One other aspect which we could underline: the case of Kaliningrad
as well as Iraq and the Middle East, are a test for the coherence of
our Common Foreign and Security Policy. Good work would be
undermined, and the prospects for solutions jeopardised, were Member
States not to recognise the importance of acting as a Union.

The Stark Choice

As I said at the outset, the last great political obstacle for
enlargement has been removed with the referendum in Ireland last
Saturday. What is needed at this Summit is to have a clear mandate
for the Commission and for the Presidency which enables us to bring
closure. It is in the self-interests of all our Member States that
the gains in terms of security, democracy, solidarity, food safety,
nuclear safety, Europeans' voice in the world - gains that
enlargement can bring - are not jeopardised by fudging conclusions,
which means that the negotiators may miss the historic rendez-vous of
Copenhagen in December.

Faced now by the actual choice of enlargement, which choice will we
make? Our continent was divided by an iron curtain, by forces of
oppression that survived the Second World War. If on this occasion,
by political will and choice, we signal a willingness for the
division to continue, we will sow a bitter harvest. As you sow, so
shall you reap, and this in a world increasingly unstable, insecure
and subject to terrorist outrage in all corners of the planet. We
must understand if by choice we opt not to reconcile when its moment
comes, we opt to release the forces of the night".

Rückfragehinweis:
David Harley, Pressesprecher des EP-Präsidenten
0032-496-599453
Alison Suttie, Pressereferentin
0032-478-359596

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